Colors of Famous Competing Brands Swapped for Comparison

Have you ever thought of how important colors are to people’s lives, especially when it comes to marketing and brand retention? When you see these two brands, what do you think? Do the colors work? Or does something seem wrong?

Looking at the sample above makes you think that something isn’t right, probably because you associate red and white with the Coca-Cola brand and the other colors with Pepsi. What makes you think this way, and retains these information in your brain, all play into what is called as branding.

Brand recognition or branding plays a huge role when it comes to designing a logo and picking the right colors that will stick. Increasing brand recall is the main point of logos, and having the right combination of colors can make or break a brand.

Through the years, studies have been conducted showing that most people rely on visual factors rather than physical, and that color increases brand recognition significantly. Brazilian graphic designer Paula Rupolo conducted an experiment where she swapped the color schemes of famous brands in an effort to show the power of colors especially when it comes to logos and designs.

Rupolo paired up rival commercial brands, and showed that when the logos were redesigned and were swapped colors, the outcome either makes you cringe or makes you think that one brand is better than the other, greatly affecting how you look at brands and their logos. Upon switching and redesigning the logos, Rupolo stated, “Colors are the first thing you notice in a logo, what gets fastest to our brains. Then you read a logo’s shape, icons, or typography.”

Some of the logos didn’t look any different or they simply rocked the rival’s colors, but somewhat gave a different feel when compared to the original. Judge these famous brands for yourself.

Lastly, there are some brands that work either way, like these two.

Are you feeling disoriented? At least now you know the importance of colors on your favorite brands. Makes you think and stare in awe at how the popular brands work, right?